12 Days of Teaching: 4 Cool Science Experiments

We kick off the second week of our “12 Days of Teaching” blog series with four cool science experiments guaranteed to promote questions and engage your students.

According to Eric Brunsell, Assistant Professor of Science Education at the University of Wisconsin, there are five key features to a good inquiry-based science experiment.

The learner must engage in scientifically-oriented questions

The learner gives priority to evidence in responding to questions

The learner formulates explanations from evidence

The learner connects explanations to scientific knowledge

The learner communicates and justifies explanations

From this, we understand that science activities must focus on real world ideas—activities should be prompted from open-ended questions where multiple answers are possible. They should spark questions, and motivate students to probe further.

With this in mind, take a look at the four cool science experiments listed below, curated from the Teachers Media International (www.teachers-media.com) library. Not only are they sensational, they’re also designed to engage student learning and provoke questions.

Introduce young scientists to the subject of “changing materials” with these great experiments that use common materials such as sand and snow.

For more great science experiments, register for Teachers Media International, an online professional learning resources that gives you access to more than 3,500 best practice videos, articles, learning packs, and much more. Our “Lite” service is FREE!

Missed the days one through three of our “12 Days of Teaching” blog series? You can check out the archives, starting with Day 1, here.